


Fitting Together

by burntotears, insanelycrazymad



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-17
Updated: 2015-08-22
Packaged: 2018-04-15 03:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4591008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/burntotears/pseuds/burntotears, https://archiveofourown.org/users/insanelycrazymad/pseuds/insanelycrazymad
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael thought he had his freshman year of college mapped out perfectly - get top grades, earn some cash on the side as a barista, and in the little free time he had left, do the things he actually enjoyed. Meanwhile the end of Ryan’s college career was nearly in sight and if he could just manage to keep focused for one more year, he could ignore that nagging feeling that he was heading in the wrong direction. When Ryan walks into Michael’s coffee shop one night after class, they can’t help but grow close, desperate to discover who they are together. Of course, it can’t ever be that simple.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Day of my Life

"And here you go - one large caramel iced espresso with soy!" Thin fingers wrapped around the offered drink, a tall and very attractive brunette giving her thanks before glancing at her cup. A deep flush formed across her cheeks, and she nearly stumbled into the person behind her before she waved a shaky hand off. The man behind the counter couldn't help but snicker slightly to himself, catching another victim off guard as he wiped his palms against his apron.    


"Hey Michael, how about instead of writing those pick up lines of yours you get some of these dishes cleared out of the sink?"   

Michael sent Arryn a small nod before slowly making his way to the stack of nasty that was awaiting him. Giving out a small groan he got started, turning on the tap as the sink started to slowly fill with warm, slightly steaming water. He drizzled the soap over the water just like he would if he were decorating a froth from one of their cappuccino or macchiato drinks, watching intently as small bubbles started to form and fill the basin. He had only been at this job for a few weeks, slowly finding his niche here at The Downtown Bean Company, but it was only a part time gig while he went to school full time. He was just a freshman coming from Jersey with hopes of finding his place in this world, a fighting chance in today's structured and decaying economy.   

Scratch that. He was coming here with his _parents_ ’ hopes and dreams tucked in his pocket, wanting him to be something successful and meaningful in this world. His passions in life didn't matter - what he wanted to do in life wasn't something they thought he could make a living out of. ' _Engineering is a good field sweetheart, you'll make enough money to support yourself and your future family. Gaming? You can't possibly think you'll be able to make something stabilizing out of that do you?_ ' Michael had fought tooth and nail for his own god damn future, for his own little slice of happiness in the world, but in the end he couldn't do what he needed on his own. He needed some support and stability, and in order to do that he needed whatever help his parents were able to give him. So with a couple scholarships and some financial aid, Michael found a really great program at the University of Texas for electrical and computer engineering. He was doing what his family wanted but he also had the freedom of being on his own, away from their prying eyes and focusing on other ambitions he wanted to put into motion.   

Michael hadn't realized he'd been spacing out until he felt something wet against his stomach, cursing as the sudsy water overflowed from the sink and decided to coat the front of his apron and through to his shirt. He turned the water off, letting out a frustrated sigh before moving to drain some of the water out so it was a little more manageable. He could feel the disappointing glance Arryn was sure to be throwing him from across the room but he didn't care, moving quickly as he grabbed at some towels to help clean up his mess.   

It was something he was great at - scrubbing off his past mistakes, trying to make up for some of the fucked up things he'd done that his parents never approved of. Tattoos, piercings, video games, the clothes he wore - nothing was ever good enough it seemed, even though Michael pushed himself and got the A's they desperately wanted him to. However through all of that he still wasn't their 'Michael'. He wasn't the clean cut boy prodigy they had wished for him to be, the well behaved man that they could show off and brag about with friends and family. No matter what or how hard he tried, he was never good enough...   

"Hello - Earth to Jones! Seriously now is not the time to be playing space cadet."   

Blinking, Michael turned his attention to an impatient looking supervisor, shrugging as he placed the towels in his hands down to absorb some of the spilled liquid. "Sorry, I'm just not in my right mind today."   

"I can tell. Look, I need you to go back up front. Kerry's leaving for the day and if I want to get out of here on time I might as well try and make a dent out of all this shit. If you're not feeling well I can call in Barb or something to take over, I'm sure she won't mind-"  

"No!" Michael snapped his mouth shut slightly, looking at the raven haired girl's surprised expression before back pedaling slightly. "No, I'm sorry I just have a lot on my mind with school and stuff, I promise, I'm cool."   

"Best be." Throwing him a smile and bumping her shoulder against his, Arryn snatched the damp towels from the floor, groaning before throwing them into the sink to wring out later. "I know how tough classes can be, dude - Junior year and I'm about ready to rip out some skulls. Just, don't let it consume you too much yeah? Definitely not healthy in the end. Now, work, go - I'm not paying you for heart-to-hearts."  

Smiling and offering a small 'thanks' Michael moved up front, quickly snatching a different apron before relieving a thankful looking Kerry.   

"It's stupidly slow all of a sudden, hope you can handle it." Glancing around the café Michael spotted a few people in the corner, huddling together with laptops and what looked like textbooks beside them. Otherwise the place seemed to have gotten quiet which Michael didn't mind too much given the state of his attention span.   

"I don't know, Shawcross - think I might die from the loneliness once you all leave me. You sure you don't want to stay a few extra hours?"  

"Nooooooooo thanks. I have two papers and a hot date with Netflix waiting for me when I get back to the dorms. See you in a few hours?"   

"Yeah - I'll stop by before heading back to mine." Nodding, Kerry gave a tiny wave before jetting out, Michael letting out a small puff of air as he started to do a quick inventory check. He finished the cups when he heard Arryn's footsteps as she wished him a goodnight, telling him not to work himself too hard before throwing the man a small wave. Michael was truly alone now, stuck to his late night tasks as he helped the few people that managed to stumble in for an evening coffee fix. A few giggling girls and some uplifting comments on their cups made the curly haired man smile, feeling like he was in a better mood than a few hours ago.   

Noticing the time, Michael was about to get ready to close up shop just as he heard the chime of the door, deciding this would probably be his last customer as he looked up from where he was wiping at the counter. "Hello, welcome to the Downtown Bean, what can I get y-"   

Eyes widening slightly, Michael felt frozen at the sight before him, clutching the towel as the very, highly attractive man in front of him looked back with almost the same expression, icy blue eyes scanning over him before quickly moving over to the menu. He couldn't see much of the man's hair because it was tucked neatly inside his knitted beanie, but a few dirty blonde locks peaked out here and there along the frame of his face. He definitely looked like he had been outdoors, skin lightly kissed by the sun and... yeah, those seemed like some really defined arm muscles. Oh God... was that an eyebrow piercing?  

"Ah... uhm, did you hear me dude?" Shaking his head slightly Michael bit at his lip, fingers clutching at his apron before scooting back over to the register.  

"Sorry man, long night. What do you need?"  

"It's alright, I suppose it gets kind of boring without customers. But ah - a white chocolate mocha and a blueberry muffin if you have any left for the night?" Nodding, Michael got started on the order, trying his hardest to focus as he got the syrup and milk mixed in the blender. He was definitely caught off guard by how freaking handsome this mystery man was, voice deep yet light with a twinge of southern laced in. With the backpack slung over his shoulder he guessed that this guy was definitely a college student.  

"Uhm, can I get a name... for the cup..." ' _God Jones you are such a freaking wreck, pull yourself together!_ ' The man looked over and raised a brow in question, almost as if to say 'I'm the only one in here right now, is that necessary?' before a small smile crept across his face.   

"My parents named me James, but you can call me Ryan." That voice - it sounded like baritone heaven, and it took all of Michael's  strength not to melt in his own puddle of goo on the floor. Nodding, he quickly scrawled across the cup, looking up at the most definitely taller man before feeling a blush forming. He waited for the coffee to brew as he grabbed Ryan's muffin, wrapping it up carefully in the wax paper bag and settling it down upon the counter.  

"So, Ryan, what brings you out so late in the evening? Night class?"  

Michael watched as the older snapped out of his tiny trance, nodding before reaching over and grabbing his muffin. "Yeah, Improv classes usually run a bit late so I don't have much time to grab anything quick and easy to eat before heading home. I don't think I've seen you around campus... but you look very, very familiar."  

Cocking a brow in curiosity, Michael poured the steaming liquid in Ryan's cup, making sure to swirl around the froth on top into a random pattern before placing the to-go cover on it. He knew Ryan wouldn't see it, but he couldn't help tracing something out for the man.  

"If you're into games and stuff I sometimes stream on Twitch - MLP Michael?" Ryan's gaze pierced into Michael's before the light bulb flashed in his head, letting out a slow smile as he nodded profusely.  

"Yeah! Oh god man, your stuff is great. I love what you put onto Youtube - the Rage stuff? Pure gold!" If a smile could cure cancer then Ryan's would, his perfect teeth shining through as he grabbed for the coffee that Michael handed him. Oh, Michael was in deep with this one, and he couldn't help the nervousness that bubbled in his stomach as Ryan placed a ten dollar bill on the open counter space.  

"Keep the change, it was really nice talking to you. I'll see you again soon!" Giving a slight nod and smile,  the lad watched Ryan take a sip before turning to leave, his cheeks flushing a dangerous shade of pink as he tried to catch his breath. 'He knows who I am, he thinks I'm cool, he's really fucking gorgeous what am I going to do-'  

A small sputtering noise knocked him from his little meltdown, looking up to see Ryan halfway out the door looking at his cup. He probably noticed the pick up line and 'oh God why did I write that on there, he's going to think I'm a nerd what the he-' 

"If you were a fruit you'd be a fineapple. Really?" The man felt his cheeks flush, giving a small shrug and trying his best not to freak out and just trying to give the older man a response, anything other than just standing there looking like a dork... 

"Hmm... well it looks like I'm definitely going to be coming back around here again. Have a good night, Michael." With that he was gone, walking out the door and leaving a very flabbergasted barista to ponder over all the thoughts swirling across his head.  

Well - this was definitely going to be a long semester.  


	2. Lay Your Pride on the Line

Ryan twirled the empty coffee cup around in his fingers, a smile playing at his lips as he re-read the dorky pick-up line scrawled across the cardboard for the second time in the last half hour. He didn’t know what it was about his meeting with Michael at the coffee shop, but he couldn’t seem to get it off his mind. Or throw away his two day old coffee cup that was starting to smell kind of funny.

Classes and rehearsals had kept him busy, so he hadn’t been able to make his way back to The Downtown Bean yet, but today was his first reprieve and he would definitely be making an appearance. He felt weirdly giddy as he opened the front door of the coffee shop, tugging at the beanie on his head in slight nervousness. As he made his way up to the counter, his face fell at the sight before him.

“Welcome to the Downtown Bean, what can I get for you?” the short, blond guy behind the counter asked. 

Ryan frowned a little, reading his nametag - Kerry. “Uh, hey. Yeah. I was just… is Michael working today?” _How very conspicuous, dipshit, good going._

Kerry’s mouth fell open a bit as he made a strange ‘uhhh’ sound. “He’s not - no, he doesn’t work today I don’t think. Do you want me to give him a message or something?” 

Ryan shook his head furiously. “No, no, I was just… just wondering. He was here the last time I came so I just… sorry. Can I get a muffin?”

“Sure…” Kerry eyed him with a curious look before he went to get the requested food item. 

After he’d paid, he left the shop, berating himself for being so stupid. It wasn’t like Michael lived at the damn coffee shop, why would he expect him to be there anytime Ryan just happened to show up? Why was he so worried about trying to see him anyway? He barely spoke to the guy and the only things he knew about him were from his streaming. He rolled his eyes at himself and headed off to rehearsal, trying to focus on what he was actually in Austin for. 

He had finally reached his senior year. He’d be graduating with a BFA in Acting and regardless of what he thought about his skills, he was a pretty damn good actor. The last two productions they had done landed him in critical roles and the one they were working on now was no different. Ryan enjoyed acting, he really did, but sometimes while he was up on that stage with the bright lights shining in his eyes, he wondered if he was headed in the right direction. He’d already invested so much of his time and energy into this career choice that most of the time he tried not to think about what else might be out there. His path was already set, there was no going back at this point.

 

The next time that Ryan went to the coffee shop, Michael was waiting behind the counter to greet him.

“Hey! Ryan, right?” Michael asked, gazing at him with those shining brown eyes. Ryan was flattered that he’d remembered who he was, much less his name. 

“Yeah, that’s me. How’ve you been?” Why was he talking to Michael like they were old friends? He’d just had to double-check Ryan’s name; the guy hardly knew him at all.

“Good! Good, just busy. Classes and work - it’s a juggle I gotta get used to, I guess.” Michael frowned for a moment. “Shit, what can I get for you? Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you wait!” The brunette’s cheeks flushed a bit, making the freckles along his cheekbones stand out even more.

Fuck, this guy was pretty adorable. 

“No, it’s fine. I’m the one that asked you how things are going. Can I get a white chocolate mocha?” Ryan watched Michael nod and get started on his drink. “I thought you hadn’t been streaming as much as before,” Ryan commented offhandedly, a bit louder so that Michael could hear him over the chatter and rumble of coffee machines.

Michael looked back at him with wide eyes and a slightly open mouth before shaking his head a bit. “Yeah, I haven’t really had a chance since I got here. I’m still getting settled in and I haven’t had a lot of time to get my equipment set up, but I’ll probably start again soon.” The barista picked up a cardboard cup and a sharpie, looking thoughtful for a moment before scribbling something onto it. He poured the drink into the cup, drawing a design in the froth before he placed the lid on it. 

When he set it on the counter, he asked, “Have you watched me a lot?” He wouldn’t look Ryan in the eye when he asked and that pretty flush was on his cheeks again. “Watched my streams, I mean!”

Ryan grinned reflexively. Did he just get embarrassed talking about what he did in his free time or was he hopeful that Ryan had seen a lot of his streams? “I haven’t seen every one, but I watch whenever I have the time. If I can’t catch a stream live then I at least try to watch it on Youtube.” 

Michael nodded, smiling. Dimples appeared on his cheeks and Ryan stared at them long enough to apparently make the other man uncomfortable. “Uh… wow. Cool. Well, thanks for watching!” He pushed Ryan’s drink across the counter and Ryan handed him a five dollar bill.

“Sure! Have a good day, Michael,” he offered, taking his drink and turning toward the door. He’d been dying to examine the cup and see what Michael had written, but he didn’t want to appear so eager. Michael had scribbled ‘You must be from the nether because you’re out of this world’ and drew what was supposed to be an attempt at a nether portal. He couldn’t stop himself from laughing out loud and glancing back at the barista who just shrugged a little and waved.

 

It didn’t take Ryan too long to form a routine that included The Downtown Bean Company as a regular stop. He went a lot near closing time after leaving his Improv class because Michael wouldn’t be as busy and they could exchange small talk at the counter without worry of being interrupted.

“So acting, huh?” Michael asked as he prepared Ryan’s regular drink order. 

“Yup,” Ryan replied, staring at Michael’s broad shoulders as the other faced away from him.

“Are you in a production right now?”

“Yeah, we’re doing _Twelfth Night_. It’s Shakespeare, I don’t know if you’ve heard of it? I’m playing Orsino.” Why was he going on about this? Surely Michael didn’t care, he was just being polite.

Michael grinned at him. “Is that a major character?”

“Yeah, I guess so,” Ryan shuffled a little, feeling self conscious. He didn’t necessarily like talking about his acting. He reached up to fiddle with the barbell in his eyebrow, a sort of nervous habit he had incurred a few years ago after he’d gotten it pierced. He didn’t really notice when he was doing it anymore, but as Michael looked up from the to-go cup he was scrawling on and his eyes snapped to Ryan’s fingers at his brow, he became acutely aware of his actions. He moved his hand up, rubbing the beanie against his head before dropping his arm to his side.

“That’s so cool, dude,” Michael said finally, looking directly at him again before pouring Ryan’s drink for him. As he pushed the cup into Ryan’s hands, he said, “I’d like to see you act.”

“Uh… what? Why?” Ryan fumbled, caught off guard by the statement.

Michael frowned slightly. “Well, I mean… you’ve seen me stream, when I’m like in my element or whatever. It’d be cool to see you do that.”

“Really?” He felt like an idiot; why did he get like this around Michael?

“Totally!” 

Ryan checked the writing on the cup before he even left the counter. ‘Does your left eye hurt? Because you've been looking right all day.’ He laughed, grinning up at Michael who smiled sheepishly back at him. “I may need to go get my eye checked out then.”

 

Ryan didn’t have a chance to stop for coffee the night before and was trying to catch a few words with the barista before he had to go to class that morning. He wore his glasses along with his usual beanie, too lazy to put in his contacts in the early hours of the morning. 

While he didn’t actually know for certain when Michael would be working, he kept stopping by on the off chance that the brunette would be there. A smile graced his face when he saw the familiar man standing behind the counter, handing over a cup of coffee to a tall brunette. She held the cup up at eye level with a curious expression on her face then turned bright red and stuttered out a ‘thank you’ to Michael who grinned mischievously at her and told her to have a great day.

Ryan watched the exchange from the entrance of the shop, feeling a strange twinge in his stomach. He felt instantly uncomfortable and kind of annoyed, shooting the girl an unhappy glance as he passed her on his way to the counter. 

Michael looked slightly confused for a moment before recognition bloomed across his face. “Ryan? What the hell, I didn’t know you wore glasses, dude! I almost didn’t recognize you for a minute. What brings you out so early?”

The blond reached up to tug at his eyebrow piercing and knocked his hand into glasses, pushing them askew on his face. He growled at his own stupidity, neck heating up as he straightened the frames. “I usually wear contacts, but I couldn’t be bothered this morning. I need something to wake me up, I’m pretty tired.”

Michael nodded. “You look beat, man. Do you ever take any time off?” 

Ryan shrugged. “Not a lot of time between classes and rehearsal and stuff. When we aren’t in production I get a bit more time to myself, I suppose.”

Michael got to work preparing Ryan’s drink, scrawling along the cup with his sharpie just like every other time Ryan had come in. But now it felt different as he watched the barista at work. He tried not to sound like a bitter asshole when he asked, “So, do you write those lines on everyone’s cup or do the brunette and I get special treatment?”

The barista’s head shot up from his task, eyes wide like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t. “Oh uh… I try to write something on everyone’s cup. It’s sort of my thing? I like to see people smile.” He looked embarrassed that Ryan had called him out on his actions.

Ryan felt his stomach churn again. He was being stupid. He should’ve known that Michael wasn’t interested in him in any way; the guy was probably straight. “Right,” Ryan said stiffly, unable to pull back his discomfort completely. Wasn’t he supposed to be an actor? Shit. “That’s nice of you.”

Michael eyed him carefully, obviously catching the oddness in his tone. “Do you… if it makes you uncomfortable I can stop.”

“What?” Ryan looked confused. “No, it doesn’t make me… sorry, I’m just tired. It doesn’t bother me, honestly.”

“You sure?” Michael asked, eyes filled with concern.

“Yeah, totally. I think they’re funny. You’re a nice guy, Michael.” 

The barista’s dimples hollowed in his cheeks as he smiled. “Thanks, Ryan.”

He nodded and paid for his coffee, unable to stop himself from immediately reading the new message on the cup. ‘Are you from Tennessee? Because you're the only ten I see!’ A smile spread across his face despite his annoyance. “Georgia, actually,” Ryan offered with a smirk.

Michael looked confused for a moment. “Wha - oh! Ha, really? I’m from Jersey.”

“I know,” Ryan responded before even thinking about it. “B-because of the streams. You talked about it.”

“Oh yeah, I guess I did,” Michael responded, looking shy for some reason. “I keep forgetting you’ve watched them. Now that you mention it, I’m probably going to start streaming again this weekend.”

“Looking forward to it, then,” Ryan responded, smiling as he left the store.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading~ Kudos and feedback is always very much appreciated ♥! Also, more ships and characters will be added as the story progresses!
> 
> Thanks to the lovely burntotears for co-writing this story with me! :D


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